The present invention relates to a method and system for estimating a snow depth and, more particularly, to a method and system for estimating an empirical snow depth that makes use of snow particle size distributions.
An observation network is built on a cloud physics observation system of Daegwallyeong in Korea so as to verify snow enhancement experiments, and in this case, a variety of measuring instruments are operated in the observation network. A general object of the snow enhancement is to increase the quantity of snow accumulated on the ground, and the quantity of snow increased by the snow enhancement experiments has been checked in Korea through various observation instruments. Particularly, snow produced by fine particles is accumulated on the ground, which is observed generally by a snow depth gauge. The snow depth gauge serves to measure the snow depth accumulated on a snow measuring plate. Conventional technologies for measuring the snow depth accumulated on the snow measuring plate have been proposed, for example, in Korean Patent No. 10-1530261 entitled “snow depth measuring device and method”, Korean Patent No. 10-1509108 entitled “snow depth measuring device and method for operating the same”, and Korean Patent No. 10-1538858 entitled “snow depth measuring device”.
If the snow depth accumulated on the snow measuring plate is measured, observation errors may occur due to various environmental influences. Since snow is weak in heat, especially, it may melt under the influence of the ground temperature transmitted to the snow measuring plate before accumulated on the ground, and further, snow may fall down due to the influence of wind, thereby causing the observation errors. In addition to the weather factors, besides, the observation errors may occur by animals or plants around the snow measuring plate. Due to the influences of such various factors as mentioned above, accordingly, it is hard to accurately observe the snow depth through the snow depth gauge.
Another method and system for measuring a snow depth is proposed wherein a light emitting element and a light receiving element are accommodated in a scale ruler so that the light emitted from the light emitting element is absorbed to the light receiving element, thereby measuring the snow depth. Such conventional method and system is disclosed, for example, in Korean Patent No. 10-1487745 entitled influence “snow depth measuring device using light source and camera”.
Furthermore, a variety of methods and studies have been proposed to observe a snow depth in a more accurate manner. In many countries, accordingly, theoretical equations and empirical equations for estimating a snow depth have been calculated. Since such equations need density observation values, however, they are complicated in computing. So as to remove such complication, accordingly, there is a need to calculate the empirical equation in a simpler manner.
Therefore, there is a definite need for development of a method and system for estimating a snow depth, which is capable of solving the above-mentioned problems, needing no density observation value, and reducing the complication in computing.